Guide device for the haulage attachments of a ski-lift or similar device

ABSTRACT

Device for guiding the haulage attachments of an installation for hauling loads by means of a cable over a pulley over which the cable passes, comprising means disposed along the path of the haulage cable, extending from upstream of the pulley, in the normal displacement direction of the cable, to beyond the rotation axis of said pulley, said means comprising wire shaped members which provide at least two support zones with which the attachment is adapted to cooperate in order to be brought eventually with the auxiliary members connected thereto, and whatever the positioning of the assembly, to a position enabling normal passage over the pulley when the cable to which said attachment is connected advances.

titted tatea Patent 1 Bancel [451 Feb. 11, 1975 1 GUIDE DEVMIE FOR THE HAULAGE ATTACHMENTS 011 A SKI-LIFT OR SIMELAR DEVllCE [76] Inventor: Guy Henri Bancel, 83 rue, Petit,

75019, Paris, France [22] Filed: May 31, 1973 121] App]. No.: 365,737

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 2, 1972 France 72.19951 Feb. 15, 1973 France 73.05386 [52] U.S. C1. 104/197, 104/173 ST, 74/2303,

[51] 1nt.C1 1361b 7/10, B6lb 11/00 {58] Field of Search 74/240, 241, 230.5, 230.3,

74/230.l3; 254/190, 194, 197, 198, 175.3; 105/329 S, 329 SC, 150', 104/115, 172 S, 198, 89, 197, 173 ST; 198/177 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,677,868 7/1928 Pade 198/177 1,704,150 3/1927 Riley 198/177 3,401,643 9/1968 Kircher... 105/329 SC 3,417,710 12/1968 Kokes 105/329 SC Primary Examiner-Samuel Scott Assistant E.\'aminer-Al1an R. Burke Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Waters, Roditi, Schwartz & Nissen [57] ABSTRACT Device for guiding the haulage attachments of an in stallation for hauling loads by means of a cable over a pulley over which the cable passes, comprising means disposed along the path of the haulage cable, extending from upstream of the pulley, in the normal displacement direction of the cable, to beyond the rotation axis of said pulley, said means comprising wire shaped members which provide at least two support zones with which the attachment is adapted to cooperate in order to be brought eventually with the auxiliary members connected thereto, and whatever the positioning of the assembly, to a position enabling normal passage over the pulley when the cable to which said attachment is connected advances.

10 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures PATENTED FEB! 1 I975 sum 1 UF 6 I 'PATENTEI] FEB1 1 I975 SHEET 2 OF 6 PATENTEUFEBWQYFJI $865,044

' SHEET 30F 6 FIGS PATENTED FEB] 1 i975 SHEET 5 [IF 6 PATENTEB FEB] 1 I975 SHEET 8 UV 6 GUIDE DEVICE FOR THE I-IAULAGE ATTACHMENTS OF A SlKlI-LTET R SIMILAR DEVICE The present invention relates to a guide device for the haulage attachments of a ski-lift or similar device.

In a cable type load haulage installation, for example a ski-lift or similar device, the loads are drawn by the moving cable by means of poles each of which is attached to the cable by means such as a sleeve, disengageable or not, on which a cross-head connected to the pole properly speaking by a powerful return spring is articulated. The haulage cable is guided by pulleys rotatably mounted on masts spaced along the track of the installation and, when a pole is separated from the load that it is hauling in the vicinity of a pulley, for example when the pole escapes from the skier that it is pulling, incorrect positioning of the cross-head and/or the spring and/or the pole properly speaking, may result in serious damage to the pulley and/or the head of its supporting mast, as well as, possibly, derailment of the cable.

It is generally a purpose of the invention to provide a guide device for the haulage attachments of a load hauling installation such as a ski-lift or similar device which ensures that said attachments always pass over the pulley satisfactorily and, particularly, when an attachment is separated from the load that it is hauling substantially at right angles to the pulley or immediately upstream thereofin the normal direction in which the haulage cable moves.

The device according to the invention, which is designed to be as associated with a pulley of a cable type load haulage installation, such as a ski-lift or similar device, is characterised in that it includes means disposed along the path of the haulage cable, starting from a point upstream of the pulley in the normal displacement direction of the cable and extending beyond the rotation axis of said pulley, said means comprising wire-like and/or surfacic members which provide at least two support zones with which the attachment is adapted to cooperate in order to be brought together with, eventually, the auxiliary members connected thereto, and whatever the positioning of the assembly, to a position enabling the pulley to be passed normally when the cable to which said attachment is fitted advances.

The invention will be clearly understood by means of the following description, given by way of example, and with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an end view of a device according to the invention equiping a lift pulley, for a first embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a view analogous to that in FIG. 1, illustrating the passage, at right angles to a pulley, of the extremity attaching a haulage pole or similar device to the cable;

FIG. 3 is an elevation view of the device;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the device illustrated in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a view analogous to that in FIG. 3 but for another form of pulley suitable for being fitted with such a device;

FIG. 6 is an elevation view of a device according to the invention fitted to a ski-lift pulley, for another embodiment,

FIG. 7 is a top view of the device represented in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the functioning of the device represented in FIGS. 6 and 7;

FIG. 9 is a part view similar to that of FIG. 6, but for another embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a top view of the device represented in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 illustrates the functioning of the form of embodiment represented in FIGS. 9 and I0.

In the form of embodiment represented in FIGS. I to 4, the device according to the invention is associated with a ski-lift, of the type described in the co-pending US. Patent Application Ser. No. 207,762 entitled: Improved cable guide device pulley, particularly for a ski-lift, in the name of the present Applicant.

Such a pulley P comprises two lateral flanges f, and f cut out to provide teeth d d .d,, d' etc. (FIG. 3), for conveying attachments or cross-heads Cr and sleeves m for attaching said attachments to haulage cable 0 guided in the groove of pulley P rotatably mounted about a shaft a borne by a bracket P0 of a mast (not shown). The haulage attachments or cross heads may be connected to the cable by means of any conventional construction such as, for example, sleeves which are attached to the cable in either a fixed or detachable manner.

The device according to the invention, 10, for guiding an attachment or cross-head (Cr as it passes pulley P, includes an arm 11 constituted by a metallic tube or solid rod, shaped at its upstream extremity, in the cable movement direction, to form a return member I2. Arm

11 whose length is greater than that of the diameter of I flanges f andf of the pulley, is maintained at a distance from outer flange f by rods 13 and 14 welded at 15 and 16 to said arm, with the addition of reinforcing gusset plates 15 and 16' and whose other extremities I7 and 18 are attached to an appropriate support S which is itself articulated by links 26, 27, on means S integral with bracket PO bearing pulley P. Arm 11, the

distance of which from outer flange f of the pulley can be in the order of about 30 cm extends over a portion of its length substantially parallel to cable 0 at a distance from the axis of the pulley slightly less than the radius of the circle defining the bases of teeth d d d,, d' of flanges f, and f as clearly visible in FIG. 3.

Also according to the invention, a flat member 19, whose extremity 20 remote from the axis of the pulley. is attached, for example by welding, to arm II, is mounted on shaft a rotatably supporting pulley P. Two spokes or arms 21 and 22, attached to flat member 19 in the vicinity of shaft a extend to a zone adjacent to the periphery of flange f, where they are attached, for example by welding, to an arm 23 (FIG. 3) connected to the member 12 of arm 11 at the upstream extremity of the device in relation to the displacement direction of from the groove of pulley P in which it is usually ,received.

The invention is not limited to its application to a pulley such as defined in the patent application above mentioned.

As represented in FIG. 5, the device according to the invention can also be applied to fit a conventional guiding pulley P of a ski-lift or similar device.

With reference now to FIGS. 6 to 8 concerning another embodiment of the device according to the invention, this device includes a surfacic member 111, for example of sheet metal or sheet metal clad with a layer of polytetrafluorethylene or, yet again, a plastic substance based on this material to prevent the adherence of frost, and which is bordered by longitudinal metallic rods 112 and 113 which extend beyond the contour of member 111. Two metallic rods 114 and 115 are attached to rod 112, for example by welding, said rods being designed to mount the device on bracket PO which bears pulley P by the assembly of bars 13, 14, S described above and represented in dot and dash lines for clarity, as is the whole of device 10 described above.

The greater portion of surfacic element 111, which in working position is placed laterally with respect to cable c, on the side of the bracket carrying the pulley, is shaped to form a helical surface directed towards cable 0, said element being extended at its downstream extremity, in normal cable displacement direction, by a portion with a frustoconical surface 117, FIGS. 6 and 7, progressively flaring in the normal advance direction of the cable.

Rod 112, substantially shaped to form a helix in its portion bordering surfacic element 111, is disposed above the normal position of the cable and, with respect to the mean plane of the pulley groove, on the side of flange f which is closest to the bracket. Said rod, which bears on its upstream extremity a slide 116 in which bar 11 (FIG. 6) of device 10 is adapted to be engaged and on which the slide is locked by means of a screw or similar device, extends beyond surfacic element 111 in a substantially rectilinear portion 112a ending substantially perpendicular to the shaft a of the pulley at which it is shaped to form a return member which diverges from said shaft with, in the vicinity of this extremity, an angle iron 120 welded to rod 112a and also to tube 115 for fitting onto assembly 13, 14, S the largest rounded edge 121 of angle iron 120, which is slightly curved, being disposed, with respect to the mean plane of the pulley groove, on the side of the bracket carrying the latter.

Rod 113, which borders at its lower portion and on part of its length the edge of surfacic element 111 is also substantially shaped to form a helical contour, but in the opposite direction to that of rod 112, so that the two said rods meet at their extremity 122 which is the extremity upstream of the device in relation to the normal displacement direction of haulage cable 0. The primary purpose and function of surfacic element 111, metallic rod 112, and frusto-conical surface 117 are to assist in the guidance of the haulage attachments or cross-heads.

The operation of the device according to the invention is illustrated in FIG. 8 which represents, in dotted lines, a first unfavourable cross-head position Cr, and, in dot and dash lines, a second unfavourable cross-head position Cr, and, in continuous lines, the normal position in which said cross-head passes without difficulty over polley P. Whereas, in the normal position of the attachment, which is as last mentioned, the attachment hangs from haulage cable c, the cross-head can, for example, when an attachment is abruptly separated from the load that it is hauling substantially above the device, and it oscillates owing to the action of its return spring or the dynamic stresses applied to it, positions itself before entering the device, or when it is already engaged therein, as represented at Cr,, i.e., not hang from the cable but project upwardly therefrom and in relation to the median plane of the pulley groove, on the side directed towards bracket PO. Without a device according to the invention, such faulty cross-head positioning may cause it to jam between the bracket and the pulley and, consequently, as the haulage cable continues to advance at a relatively high speed, this may cause the head of the mast to sag, which not only makes the installation unusable but can also cause the cable to be derailed and/or break, entailing extremely grave consequences with respect to the safety of the loads hauled by the installation and, in particular, the persons using the installation in the case of a ski-lift.

In an installation fitted with the device according to the invention the above mentioned danger is eliminated, as the cooperation of cross-head Cr with rod 112 during the displacement of the cable in the direction of arrowfbrings said cross-head either into its normal position Cr represented in broken lines, or in a plane that is sufficiently non-inclined towards bracket P0, in rela tion to the median plane of the pulley groove, for the cross-head and the members extending it, particularly the spring and a pole properly speaking, in the case of a ski-lift, to pass over the pulley without any difficulty or danger of jamming.

Angle iron on the edge 121 of which slides the cross-head or one of the members integral therewith contributes to the satisfactory passage over the pulley of the attachment assembly, when the cross-head, without being brought to its normal position, is nonetheless in a plane sufficiently close to the median plane of the pulley groove.

When the cross-head arrives on the device as represented in dot and dash lines at Cr in FIG. 8, i.e., substantially parallel to cable c, or when it adopts this position during its displacement along the device according to the invention, this being due to the articulation type mounting of the cross-head on sleeve m, a projection t of the cross-head, or another projecting portion of the sleeve is broght into cooperation with the helical surface element 111, which, when said cross-member moves in the direction of arrow s, causes it to return to a correct position as represented in unbroken lines Cr or, at least, to a position in which the said cross-head is, in relation to the median plane of the pulley groove, on the side of outer flange f which, being rotatably mounted on the pulley properly speaking, as explained in the above mentioned patent application, enables the pulley to be crossed by the cross-head and its dependent member.

In this way, satisfactory crossing of the pulley is ensured, whatever the positioning of the cross-head. In addition, the frusto-conical surface 117 extending the helica surface 111 makes it possible, should the cable abruptly stop when the cross-head is about to engage the pulley, this stoppage then being accompanied by a retreat of said cross-head in the direction of arrow s,

opposite to that of arrow s, to avoid faulty positioning of the cross-head by compelling it, should it tend to deviate from the mean plane of the pulley groove, to return to said plane. An effect analogous to that obtained by frusto-conical surface 117 is ensured by the downstream extremity of rod 112a in the event of the cable abruptly stopping when the cross-head is substantially on the pulley.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 9 to 1], concerning another embodiment, which, advantageously associated with a device 10 as above described, includes the same bar means 114 and 115 as those in the previous embodiment for mounting it on the bracket or the mast PO carrying pulley P.

In this embodiment, which does not use a helicas surfacic element 111, a rod 130, similar in form to that of rod 112 in the previous embodiment, i.e., including a portion 1300 of helical shape extended by a portion 130b, slightly curved with its concave surface directed towards the median plane of the pulley groove, is disposed substantially above cable c with its extremity 130C substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis of the pulley, said extremity being shaped like that of rod 11211 in the previous embodiment, and for the same purpose. To rod 130, whose upstream extremity bears a solide member 131 for locking the device according to the invention on bar 11 of device 10, is attached a second rod 132 also generally helicoidal but in a direction opposite that of portion 130a of rod 130, the assembly of rod 132 and portion 130a of rod 130 having the shape, in elevation, of an elongated eye (FIG. 9).

This embodiment, as represented in FIG. 11, operates similarly to that of the previous embodiment, rod 130 directing a correctly positioned cross-head Cr towards the median plane of the pulley groove while the lower rod 132 also directs the unsatisfactorily positioned cross-heads towards the median plane of the pulley groove.

In addition, rod 130 whose position with respect to cable 6 is illustrated in FIG. 10, prevents said cable c from overlapping said rod 130 in the event of lateral stresses applied to the cable.

In the same way as helicoidal element 111 in the previous form of embodiment is advantageously coated with a plastic material, such as polytetrafluorethylene, to prevent the adherence of frost, the invention provides for coating rods such as 130 and 132 using such a material, and for the same purpose, said coating additionally ensuring sliding with light friction of the incorrectly positioned cross-heads over said bars.

It is understood that the invention is not restricted its application to a pulley such as that of the type described in the above mentioned patent application but is applicable to any haulage cable installation pulley device.

I claim:

1. In an installation for hauling loads, a device for guiding supporting said loads on a cable over a guide pulley over which the cable passes, comprising means disposed along the path of the haulage cable, extending from upstream of the pulley, in the normal displacement direction ofthe cable, to beyond the rotation axis of said pulley, said means comprising at least two wire shape members which provide at least two support zones within which the haulage attachments are guided by at least one or the other of said wire shape members in order to be brought eventually with-the auxiliary members connected thereto, and depending upon the orientation of the incoming hauling attachment so that said hauling attachment is cammed or guided away from said pulley and then guided back to its original orientation to a position enabling normal passage over the pulley when the cable to which said attachment is connected advances.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein said means include two.rods, each comprising a helically shaped portion, placed one above the haulage cable and the other below, the helical portion of the upper rod being extended, in the direction of the pulley axis, by a rectilinear or slightly curved portion to a position substantially at right angles to said axis, while the lower rod, whose helical winding direction is opposite to that of the helical portion of the upper rod, is connected to the latter at its extremity upstream in relation to the normal displacement direction of the cable.

3. Device according to claim 2, wherein, between the two helically shaped portions of the upper and lower rods, is disposed a helical type surface extending, at the downstream extremity of the device in relation to the normal displacement direction of the haulage cable, by a frustoconical surface progressively flaring in the cable advance direction.

4. Device according to claim 2, wherein the lower rod is connected to the upper rod at the extremity upstream of the device and also in the vicinity of the downstream extremity of the helical portion of the upper rod.

5. Device according to claim 2, further comprising, in the vicinity of the downstream extremity of the upper rod, in relation to the normal displacement direction of the haulage cable, a curved bracket with a rounded edge disposed above said rod.

6. Device according to claim 2 further comprising bears for mounting the device on a bracket carrying the pulley, said bars being attached to the upper rod.

7. Device according to claim 2 wherein the upper rod is shaped, at its downstream extremity in relation to the normal displacement direction of the cable, to form a return member deviating from the rotation axis of the pulley with which the device is associated.

8. Device according to claim 1, comprising a wirelike member shaped to form a first arm extending at a distance from the outer face of the pulley, substantially parallel to the cable over the greatest portion of its length, said arm being connected to the pulley support by two rods transverse of said pulley, while a second arm defines an Y-shaped structure with the first.

9. Device according to claim 8, wherein in the upstream extremity of the first arm is shaped to form a U- shaped member, the end portion upstream of the second arm in the cable displacement direction, being connected to the members for mounting the first and second arms by a cross-member.

10. Device according to claim 1, wherein the wireshaped members are coated with a plastic material, of the polytetrafluorethylene type, :in order to prevent frost from being deposited and remaining on said mem- 

1. In an installation for hauling loads, a device for guiding supporting said loads on a cable over a guide pulley over which the cable passes, comprising means disposed along the path of the haulage cable, extending from upstream of the pulley, in the normal displacement direction of the cable, to beyond the rotation axis of said pulley, said means comprising at least two wire shape members which provide at least two support zones within which the haulage attachments are guided by at least one or the other of said wire shape members in order to be brought eventually with the auxiliary members connected thereto, and depending upon the orientation of the incoming hauling attachment so that said hauling attachment is cammed or guided away from said pulley and then guided back to its original orientation to a position enabling normal passage over the pulley when the cable to which said attachment is connected advances.
 2. Device according to claim 1, wherein said means include two rods, each comprising a helically shaped portion, placed one above the haulage cable and the other below, the helical portion of the upper rod being extended, in the direction of the pulley axis, by a rectilinear or slightly curved portion to a position substantially at right angles to said axis, while the lower rod, whose helical winding direction is opposite to that of the helical portion of the upper rod, is connected to the latter at its extremity upstream in relation to the normal displacement direction of the cable.
 3. Device according to claim 2, wherein, between the two helically shaped portions of the uppEr and lower rods, is disposed a helical type surface extending, at the downstream extremity of the device in relation to the normal displacement direction of the haulage cable, by a frustoconical surface progressively flaring in the cable advance direction.
 4. Device according to claim 2, wherein the lower rod is connected to the upper rod at the extremity upstream of the device and also in the vicinity of the downstream extremity of the helical portion of the upper rod.
 5. Device according to claim 2, further comprising, in the vicinity of the downstream extremity of the upper rod, in relation to the normal displacement direction of the haulage cable, a curved bracket with a rounded edge disposed above said rod.
 6. Device according to claim 2, further comprising bears for mounting the device on a bracket carrying the pulley, said bars being attached to the upper rod.
 7. Device according to claim 2 wherein the upper rod is shaped, at its downstream extremity in relation to the normal displacement direction of the cable, to form a return member deviating from the rotation axis of the pulley with which the device is associated.
 8. Device according to claim 1, comprising a wire-like member shaped to form a first arm extending at a distance from the outer face of the pulley, substantially parallel to the cable over the greatest portion of its length, said arm being connected to the pulley support by two rods transverse of said pulley, while a second arm defines an Y-shaped structure with the first.
 9. Device according to claim 8, wherein in the upstream extremity of the first arm is shaped to form a U-shaped member, the end portion upstream of the second arm -in the cable displacement direction-, being connected to the members for mounting the first and second arms by a cross-member.
 10. Device according to claim 1, wherein the wire-shaped members are coated with a plastic material, of the polytetrafluorethylene type, in order to prevent frost from being deposited and remaining on said members. 